OMEGA : Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Master Chronometer GMT

In 2005 Omega launched its Planet Ocean collection, followed in 2013 by the introduction of the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m GMT, the first Seamaster Planet Ocean with a second time zone.

This year Omega has introduced the Co-Axial movement into this watch, resulting in this, the Planet Ocean 600m Cox-Axial Master Chronometer GMT.

For those who might not know, the 43.5mm the Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT is mid way betweeen the regular 42mm and 45.5mm Planet Oceans, and this new version stays in the same 35.mm case, although its thickness has been cut down to 17.04mm.

So what is so special about this watch? It’s the bezel.

This Planet Ocean GMT features a polished ceramic (bi-directional) bezel in black and white (day and night for the GMT hand), a world-first for a dual-colour polished ceramic bezel. It is made this way, complete with the numbers and scales in contrasting colours, as opposed to being a ceramic bezel that has its colours added. The dial is also polished ceramic (discreetly marked with a small ‘ZrO2’ under the centre axis of the hands), and it makes for a remarkably strong shiny look.

Operation-wise, the crown is screw down. In its first position the hour hand can be independently adjusted in one-hour increments.

As the name indicates, there’s a Co-Axial movement inside. The Master Chronometer Calibre 8906 runs at 25,200VPH and uses Omega’s in-house METAS chronometer certification. It is anti-magnetic up to 15,000 Gauss and has a rhodium-plated rotor. Power reserve is sixty hours.

It is water resistant to 60 bar/ 600m and has a helium-escape valve and comes on a steel bracelet with new types of end-links and a folding clasp with a dive extension, or a black leather strap with rubber lining.

Omega has been doing interesting things with ceramic/ LiquidMetal® and their bezels, and this 2016 addition to their collection not only shows their commitment to contuining down this path but also their continued ability to come up with come up with very market-friendly watches.

The Australian RRP for the Omega Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial Master Chronometer GMT 43.5 is AUD10,150.